Bengaluru: Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai order to close the schools and colleges in the State for three days from Tuesday onwards over wearing hijab by students. Chief Minister in a tweet said that he has ordered all high schools and colleges to remain shut to maintain peace and harmony in the State.

Karnataka High Court is hearing petitions filed by five women from a Government college in Udupi, questioning hijab restrictions. Karnataka High Court Justice Dixit Krishna Shripad said High Court will continue hearing on Wednesday also and asked students and the public at large to maintain peace. This court has full faith in the wisdom and virtue of public at large and it hopes that the same would be put to practice.

Just before the court proceedings ended on Tuesday, CM Basavaraj Bommai in his tweet said that, I appeal to all the students, teachers and management of schools and colleges as well as people of Karnataka to maintain peace and harmony. I have ordered closure of all high schools and colleges for next three days. All concerned are requested to cooperate.

The hijab protests began last month at the Government Girls PU College in Udupi when six students alleged that they had been barred from classes for insisting on wearing the headscarf. Right-wing groups in Udupi and Chikkamagaluru objected to Muslim girls wearing the hijab to class.

A group of students marched to their college wearing saffron scarves. The protests escalated on Tuesday after groups of protesters threw stones at each other and students at a college put up a saffron flag. College rules allow students to wear the hijab in class but not during lessons, according to officials.